16ga.com ~ View topic - Shoot the Grouse!

Gentlemen,

Out again today hunting between the rain storms. 4 rock sold Grouse points & 3 Woodcock points by our Gordon puppy Shadows. Grouse are still spooky beyond belief, and so are the Woodcock. I am starting to believe we have way to many coyotes running our wild birds now, here in Potter County. Shadows got inside 20 yards to one Grouse location, however this was a younger bird than I took last week, and ran as I invaded its safety zone, busted out into the area along west branch road. Put the young bird down with my 26" barreled L.C. Smith gun and felt real good doing it. Very tough quick shooting to take the Grouse. Both Woodcock ran and exited the opposite side of the thick habitat leaving me absolutely no shot on the 1st 2 Woodcock. Never saw Woodcock run like this before, and still no flight birds. If I had flushing dogs I would not be able to get with in 50 yards of any of these birds, I thank the Lord for a talented young Gordon Setter for sure. Would really like to shoot a few more Woodcock for Shadows off one of her real nice points, do not want her to think a wild flush is something that will be gunned, and have held my shot on 2 different birds that I normally would have tried using my back barrel on. Everything in the Grouse woods is spoken wet and the Grouse & Woodcock are not sitting tight, so a hunter can get in gunning range. My Grouse gunning is now back over the 2 for 4 mark and I am feeling like my puppy and I are becoming a good companion team, not quite where Daisy and Penny were, however Shadows is doing 4 year old Grouse dog work, and not just 2 year old puppy stuff. My L.C. Smith 16 gauge guns, with the RST SpredR's, #8 & #6's are getting the job done. 3 for 3 on Grouse, in our Potter County Grouse Woods is incredible shooting, especially with all 3 birds being over 35 yards out. Right now I am on top of the world, I know better than to think this kind of Grouse gunning will continue, God will probably change all that tomorrow or Thursday. Took one lone woodcock toward the end of the day, off a real nice point by Shadows. Man she does not like to retrieve Woodcock, sitting beside it, to let me pick up the bird.

Life is good even between the rain storms! BBQ Grouse on the grill tonight.

All the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 27 Sep 2020 Posts: 8 Location: Northcentral, Pa

That's some great shooting. I haven't hit one yet.
Grouse numbers seem to be up this year there in Potter County, at least from what I'm seeing while working over there.

grouse_fan,

Not so sure we have had an increase in Grouse population, we will see as the season continues. The weather was perfect for a nice Grouse hatch, I hope you are right.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.c. Smith Man

Gentlemen,

It has been an interesting 1st couple of weeks of Grouse season here on the northern tier of Pa. Have had good bird contact everyday we have been Grouse & Woodcock hunting. Grouse contact has not been quite as good as the last couple season, especially for this time of year. Almost 3 birds an hour contact, 2 years go we were having 4 and 5 bird contacts an hour. I still blame this on our massive predator problem here in Pa. Our Coyote population is out of hand again and even had them close up to the log cabin, after the Black Bears had moved further up on the mountain, with Bear hunting season coming in.

Still it has been a great 2 weeks, and Shadows is learning here trade well. Have now shot 4 Grouse a mix of young and old birds, off her real nice Grouse points. Three Grouse taken with my 16 gauge double guns. My old Crescent Hammer Gun accounted for one downed Grouse and one Woodcock miss. The L.C. Smith Silver Breech 16, took a nice big Grouse on a going away 45 degree angle shot, over 30 yards way along the creek, with the back trigger and #6 RST SpredR. My 16 gauge 00 with the #1 engraving, took a real nice young Grouse, with #8 RST Spredr, shot along West Branch Road, as it tried to escape across the road. Last Grouse of the 1st 2 weeks was taken with my modern 28 Gauge L.C. Smith while in a Woodcock covert. A lucky shot for sure put the Grouse bird down with #8 RST SpredR's. All in all a nice opening 2 weeks and I did not have to shoot twice at any of the Grouse I took, so my shooting percentage is still above 33 1/3 percent. A definite recovery form the end of last season. All of a sudden it got warm the last couple days, so I am out of the Grouse woods till it gets colder, and after I vote!

Enjoying my L.C. Smith 16 gauge double guns emmensely!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 27 Nov 2020 Posts: 84 Location: mtns of central PA

Dave, I was in your neck of the woods last Saturday... the woodcock spot didn't produce, but I hunted two grouse covers, both of which produced 3 birds each. My older dog struggled, but my young pup got a couple pointed. Alas, the birds were in the pines & didn't produce shot opportunities. Hot and dry conditions are making it tough. Despite the heat, I'll be out tomorrow... only so many Saturdays in PA for the working stiff...

I am seeing many more grouse than last year.

Joined: 30 Sep 2020 Posts: 186 Location: ont canada

Thanks for the report. The running Woodcock thing is something I have experienced many times we hunted a small beagle that would run them down and would retrieve them. It was an unusual combination but it worked. Luckly my Lab and all my Britts would work and retrieve Woodcock and anything else we hunted.

boon,
Remember to check your Sunday Grouse hunting, with the PGC Sunday allowable Grouse hunting days in November! I will not be back in the woods until after we vote!
Great to hear your Grouse contact is better this season, maybe we did have an increase in our Grouse population after all. Boon how spooky were the Grouse where you were hunting?

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 27 Nov 2020 Posts: 84 Location: mtns of central PA

Dave, I went back to your stomping grounds today & got feathers in Hattie's mouth for the very first time... She had a lovely staunch point in tough conditions (71 degrees) & I was very proud of her. Hard-won PA public land bird. She is only 8.5 months but is handling wily PA birds with a good amount of skill. We've had some opportunities but this was the first time I could hold up my end of the bargain.

The birds have been very spooky, but I think a great deal of it has to do with how hot and dry the woods are, as well as tough scenting conditions. Today my pup kept having staunch unproductive points, I think they were flushing long before we got there. I only moved 3 birds today and heard a drummer we never found. Quit at 2 pm, decided to end on a high note after shooting the grouse.

This bird actually had much of its tail-fan missing--it looks like it had tangled with a predator & made a close escape.

Ferns and slivers of hawthorn in the crop.

Joined: 27 Nov 2020 Posts: 84 Location: mtns of central PA

The 20 gauge was in rotation today, not the 16... but it was my grandfather's last grouse gun, so I try to knock one down with it first in tribute to the old-time setter man!

Boon,

Give the dog a pat on the head for me, tough hunting in the heat. The Grouse have been spooky sense opening day, real glad you got a fine bird! The bird contact has been very good sense opening day, lets hope it continues thru the entire season.
I love it that you are using your Grandpas gun, making more memories!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

big blue,

Hope your Grouse season is going well and you are getting out! When I was a small boy I was given a real nice Beagle pup for Christmas to get me started hunting Rabbits.
I have very fond memories of watching the Beagle pup run Rabbits, long before I could even hold a gun. Never had Happy my Beagle pup bother a Woodcock here in Potter County, Pa. At that time we had lots of snow shoe rabbits and the pup loved to chase them.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man